Court gives Minardi a reprieve

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Formula one battler Minardi last night won a last-ditch court
injunction allowing it to take part in today's qualifying session
for the Australian Grand Prix.

But the team faces another Supreme Court fight at 2.15pm today
in a bid to compete in tomorrow's race.

Minardi went to court when stewards ruled it out of the race
after a dispute over regulations imposed for 2005.

Gavan Griffith, QC, for Minardi, told Justice David Habersberger
that the new rules were designed to slow formula one vehicles by
three seconds a lap.

He said Minardi did not have vehicles that complied with the
2005 regulations, but had agreement from the other race teams that
it could use its 2004 cars for the first three events of this
season.

Earlier, Ferrari had baulked at signing an agreement letting
Minardi run its 2004 vehicles for the whole year.

Griffith said stewards used secret rules to stop the team
competing. He said Minardi planned to challenge the validity of the
decision-making process that allowed the new regulations to be
passed.

"It is self-evident that we will suffer prejudice if we don't
run," Griffith said. "There won't be prejudice if we do run, unless
we run into Mr Schumacher halfway down the straight."

Justice Habersberger said the case was urgent, but he had a firm
view that no orders should be made about tomorrow's event without
the other parties present.

Outside court, to the cheers of passing motorists, Minardi boss
Paul Stoddart said he was relieved to be able to take part in
qualifying.

"I think it'll be great to get the cars out there and it will be
really fantastic to get on the track and away from all the
politics," he said.

It seemed at the start of the day that all Minardi required to
take part in the race was the nod from Ferrari, the only team not
to give permission for Minardi to take to the track in its 2004
model.

Stoddart said his cash-strapped team was unable to produce a new
car adhering to 2005 regulations.

He had asked the other nine teams to give their approval for him
to race last year's cars until the changes could be made. The
Minardi boss said he had been told by FIA president Max Mosley that
permission from all nine would allow his team to race.

A continuing dispute with Ferrari chief Jean Todt appeared to
scotch those plans. But Stoddart met Todt yesterday morning and the
Ferrari chief indicated he would consult lawyers in New York about
the possibility of granting permission.

At noon yesterday, having missed the first practice session,
Stoddart emerged from the Minardi garage brandishing a letter from
Todt giving the go-ahead to Minardi, on the condition that Stoddart
acquire signatures from the principals of the other eight
teams.

Stoddart then walked the length of pit lane collecting
signatures and went into a private meeting with the race stewards
expecting to be given the go-ahead to race. In a statement released
later, the stewards said they had taken into account the support
from the other teams, but that regulations were put in place for a
reason.

It was "inappropriate and unacceptable to alter the technical
regulations" to accommodate Minardi, they said.